Reconnaissance
by EmbassyBeets
Summary: Alone, injured, and abandoned by the military, Olivia Strauss sets out on an aimless journey through the disease-ridden South. When she stumbles upon a downed Army helicopter, she finds four injured survivors and a new meaning behind life as a carrier.


**Helloooo again. Well, I had a story on here called ****Heart's Curtain**** that I kind of started impulsively. I never really **_**planned**_** for the story (I usually like to do some sort of outline), so I really have no idea where I would even take it. Therefore, I have decided to delete it. It only had a handful of reviews, so I don't think anyone's too torn up about it. I'm going to do something really different with the character, though, and I think this story has the potential to be really good. This first chapter is just a short introduction into my OC and the plot of the story. Later chapters will be longer, and will definitely include the L4D2 survivors (and maybe at one point the original L4D gang). I've been really obsessed with Kirkman's ****The Walking Dead**** lately, so I'll probably take a lot of inspiration from that, as well. Okay, well, here it is. I would really love it if you guys let me know what you think! **

"She's ready for you, sir."

The young man, wearing standard military fatigues, extended an arm and offered a small, advanced gas mask.

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

The older man nodded curtly and promptly turned on his heel, the gas mask now in his possession, taking long strides down a bright, white, narrow hallway. The people around him, wearing military uniforms with various medals and insignias, bustled around busily. The large man - clad himself in a dark blue, crisp uniform - came to stop at a lone door on the right hand side. He sighed once and carefully strapped the mask over his mouth and nose, and clicked a small button that would allow him to speak with clarity. He cleared his throat once, stealing a quick glance at the file in his hand, and entered the room silently. Upon hearing the subtle clicking of the lock, the woman seated at the table visibly tensed, but kept her gaze focused straight ahead. The room was clearly some kind of interrogation office; the walls were a stark white, the lighting was harsh and intimidating, and the only other attributes were a small, metal table, with two matching - and equally uninviting - chairs on either end. The man dropped the file on the table with a thud and immediately took the unoccupied seat directly across from the woman. She watched with mild curiosity as he placed a small recording device on the metal surface and pressed the [record] button.

"Sergeant Olivia Strauss?" He asked gruffly.

"Yes, sir."

"Captain Abraham Velasquez." He introduced himself and the woman nodded politely.

"Please excuse me. Normally I would stand, give you a proper salute but um," She cast a skeptical glance down at her hands and feet, which were handcuffed to two of the table legs, "I'm not exactly in a position to do so."

"Yes, of course." His smile was almost apologetic, "It's a preventative measure. Unfortunately, we are still waiting on the results of some of your tests."

"I understand, sir."

"Now, Sergeant..." He leaned forward slightly and intertwined his hands together, "I've taken a look at your file. Very impressive stuff." She nodded a silent thank you, "Nonetheless, please... tell me about yourself." He smirked inwardly at her puzzled expression, "See, what I'm trying to understand... is how a soldier with your training and qualifications managed what you did."

"Of course." She cleared her throat and gave a small shrug as she released a puff of air, "I was born and raised in Jersey. It was incredibly underwhelming. I enlisted in the Corps fresh out of high school, excelled in basic training."

"When did you become interested in the Military Police?"

"That particular MOS was recommended to me by one of my Drill Sergeants. He expected I would do well." She paused and gave the man a pointed look, "I did." He offered a small, unseen smirk in response to her subtle cockiness, "I went to college, studied criminal investigation and forensics-"

"-worked for two years as an investigator in the Military Police and you were eventually recruited by the Naval Crimes Investigation Service, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Sergeant Strauss," He sighed, "I think you misunderstood my request. See, I know of all your qualifications, your academic and career history; but, none of this tells me how _you_ - a five foot five, one-hundred-and-thirty pound young woman - managed to stave off such a large attack, on your own?" Olivia tore her gaze away from the man and lowered her head, "We recovered the bodies of _twenty-seven_ of your fellow Marines; most of them men with far stronger physical capabilities than you possess." He paused for a long moment to study her expression, "I want to know exactly what happened. How did you survive?"

The woman forced herself to meet his gaze and sighed, defeated, "I survived by disobeying orders, sir."

Captain Velasquez cocked an eyebrow, "Please elaborate."

"I was told I was needed on base. My superior told me they were requesting all officers for aid in evacuations and rescue missions-"

"-I know how and why you arrived at the base, now _please_ tell me what happened when the attack started." He interrupted curtly.

She clenched her fists under the table and took a deep breath, "There were about thirty of us. We were preparing for an evacuation in North Carolina when it happened. I don't know how they found us, all I know is that whatever morons were stationed in the watch towers - if there were any - failed to warn us in time. The perimeter was breached and we were quickly overwhelmed." The girl hesitated for a moment, "Our commanding officer - Captain Hamill - ordered us all to dress in our protective gear; the large suits, the gas masks, but there wasn't enough time, and I knew it. I had encountered the infected on a previous occasion." She drew in a shaky breath and leaned forward, "You don't understand... there are things out there... monsters..."

"Yes, Sergeant Strauss." The older man rolled his eyes, "The infected are monsters. They hide under our beds, and in our closets... is that what you're saying?"

"Not at all." She responded bitterly, "And with all due respect, Captain, I've served over ten years in the Corps; I don't feel like I deserve to be mocked."

The Captain pursed his lips, hesitating for a moment, "You're right, Sergeant." He nodded reluctantly, "Please continue."

Olivia smiled and returned the gesture, "Thank you, sir." She cleared her throat before continuing, "I don't understand it. It doesn't make any logical sense, but please believe me when I say there are creatures out there that have been severely mutated by this infection."

"What did you see?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"One creature... it had some kind of cloth pulled over it's eyes and avoided the light. It was capable of running on two legs, or four, like a dog. I watched it rip someone apart." She gave him a grim look, "Literally... and after it was done, it hopped away. That thing must have pounced thirty feet in the air-"

"-That's absurd!"

"It's true! I haven't even gotten to the worst of it." Her superior gave an incredulous look, but allowed her to continue, "Several soldiers had already fallen, and the place was _swarmed_ with the infected. At that point, for some reason – _God_ only knows why – myself and a handful of men were the only ones focused on defense. It was complete chaos. The ground started shaking, the building trembled – like a goddamn earthquake." Her voice trailed off for a moment and she shook her head, "This... _thing_ appeared. It was completely covered of large, bulging muscles, must've stood about twenty feet tall, if not larger. I don't really know how to explain it; I guess it kind of looked like the Incredible Hulk-"

"-Okay, I've heard enough, Sergeant." He sighed, irritated, "It's obvious and very unfortunate that the demons of war have caught up with you."

"I'm telling the truth!" She protested angrily.

"Do you know how ridiculous you sound?" He nearly shouted, "I'm not going to sit here and let you make a fool of me with your storytelling."

"Did your men mention to you the four overturned vehicles they found inside of the building?" She asked quietly, and the man faltered, "What about the massive chunks of cement and debris that took out the windows?"

"Yes."

She glanced up, a terribly solemn look on her face, "How do you think they got there?"

_"Holy fuck! That thing's throwing cars!"_

_"Soldiers, stay calm! Get your masks on and we'll be fi-AGH!"_

_"Captain's down!"_

_"It's getting closer! Everyone get back!"_

_"What! Strauss, no!"_

_"Molotov coming!" _

"I survived, Captain, because I didn't listen to the bullshit orders of my superior. Everyone else did, and look at where that got them." She leaned over as much as she could and fixed him with a harsh glare, "I like to believe that being a Marine is a lot more than being a marionette on a goddamn string. While everyone else was strapping masks and _protective equipment_ on, I grabbed a rifle, some ammunition, and a few grenades. I killed every last one of those _motherfuckers_, because it was them or me. I wish I could have helped more of my comrades, and I _tried, _but it's difficult to protect people from their own stupidity."

The man glared at the woman for a long moment before switching off the recording device, "I admire your perseverance, Sergeant Strauss-" He stood up and gathered the file from the table, "-although certain aspects of your report are... troubling. I have to meet with my superior and discuss a few things. You'll be hearing from me soon."

"Captain?" She asked quietly, and he turned to face her once again, "What's going to happen to me?"

"I read in your file that you've repeatedly expressed a desire to join the Special Forces, despite the fact that you're ineligible, am I correct?"

"Yes, sir." She replied, a hint of bitterness present in her tone, "Had I been born with a penis, I would have made an excellent candidate."

Captain Velasquez shook his head and stifled a chuckle, "Well, Sergeant Strauss, let's just say that you may just get your wish."

* * *

"Doctor Stevenson, I've received word you have the test results I've been waiting for?"

Captain Velasquez stood near the doorway of the large, tidy room that made up the medical research lab. The focus of the medical staff had changed dramatically over a period of only a few weeks; the doctors had been studying – or at least attempting to – the infection and, of course, searching for a cure. The room was filled with various pieces of medical equipment, charts, and vials of blood. Just beyond the main room, behind a large, thick glass window, was a room for live – or dead – subjects. There were several hospital beds with different machines hooked up alongside them. Three of the beds were occupied – two by infected individuals, and one by an unlucky soldier who appeared to have been ripped apart. A gray-haired woman, dressed in a sleek, black suit and a vastly contrasting traditional, white lab coat, approached Captain Velasquez and glanced at the multiple files in her arms.

"Name of subject?" She asked curtly.

The man gave an irritated sigh, "Strauss, Olivia. Age: thirty. Ethnicity: Caucasian. Hair color: red. Eye color: blue. Weight-"

"Yes, Captain, I have the file right here." She interjected with a raised eyebrow and handed the appropriate file over.

"Thank you."

He took a moment to flip through the file, and glanced up at the doctor's grim expression as she spoke, "Unfortunately, Sergeant Strauss has tested positive for the infection; the Green Flu."

"I don't understand, Doctor." The man shook his head, "I spoke with her less than an hour ago. She exhibits no symptoms."

"Yes, well, that's what I find so interesting about this soldier." The woman narrowed her eyes slightly and folded her palms neatly in front of her, "Sergeant Strauss is what we call an asymptomatic carrier. She _is_ infected, but the virus lies dormant in her system. We have no idea whether or not she will suffer from the symptoms over time. In many other diseases, carriers never do, but, well, this Green Flu is so damn unpredictable."

"What does this mean, on a larger scale?"

"Well..." Doctor Stevenson cast a skeptical glance at the file in the man's grip, "I'd like to run a few more tests, collect a couple more vials of her blood... I think this has the potential to be a great foundation for finding a cure." Her gaze flickered briefly to the man's face, "That is... as long as she's _still alive_."

"Doctor Stevenson..." The man warned, "You know _that_ is out of my hands, and you _know_ how Colonel Gallo feels about this subject."

"Killing her is not the answer!" The doctor hissed angrily, "It's not going to fix _anything_. As long as she's kept quarantined, I can-"

"I wish it was that simple, but that would never last, and you know it." He sighed, "I don't want this to happen anymore than you do. I have an idea that I'm going to run by Gallo. I think I can get him to agree to it, but we'll just have to see." He hesitated, "It's not much better than killing her, I'll admit, but I truly believe she would prefer this option." Doctor Stevenson glared angrily at the man, while he merely offered a regretful smile and turned to walk away.

"Jesus, Abraham, what are you going to do to her?"

He paused and cast a weary glance over his shoulder, "We're gonna train her, we're gonna _equip_ her..." He let flow a slow sigh, "And we're gonna send her out there."


End file.
